Nuzi Tablets (pdf)
Lifted up Voice and Wept (pdf)
Lifted up His Eyes (pdf)
Moses’ 8 Trips (pdf)
VaYetzeh Slides (pdf)
VaYetzeh Notes (pdf)
Overview of Torah Portion VaYetzeh (“And He Went Out”): Genesis 28:10 – 32:2
This week’s Portion continues Jacob’s story that we started last week. We saw the contrast in the lives of the three Patriarchs:
Abram travelled from Chaldea to Canaan to Egypt and back to Canaan
Jacob travelled to Chaldea (staying for 20 years) and returned to Canaan
But Isaac was forbidden (by Yehovah and Abraham) to leave Canaan.
Isaac could not leave the Promised Land because he was the sacrifice (Gen 22) and the sacrifice must not leave the Holy Place (Lev 7:6). Both Abram and Jacob had their names changed after their encounters with Yehovah; Isaac did not – because Yehovah named him from the beginning! Yehovah blessed Abraham with enormous wealth (he was believed to be the wealthiest man in the world at that time); and he passed that wealth on the Isaac. We see in this Portion that Jacob left his father’s tent with the blessing of the Firstborn but he left his material inheritance behind … with Esau. We will see at the end of the Portion that when Jacob returns, he didn’t need the material blessing from Isaac…he had amassed enormous wealth with his relationship with Laban.
The lesson we should learn from all of this: Yehovah called each of these three men to accomplish His Purposes; and each of them had entirely different callings from Yehovah. Each one of us also has a unique calling from Yehovah to accomplish His Purpose in our life. We must be obedient and accomplish the tasks that Yehovah has given to us…and not lament that our calling is not as glamorous or exciting as the person next to us. Our obedience to His calling brings us Yehovah’s blessing!
Chapter 28 – Jacob’s Dream
Jacob left his father’s tent and stopped at “the place” (haMacom in Hebrew) for the night. Just as the Hebrew day starts at sunset, so did Jacob’s journey – it started when “the sun had set” (Gen 28:11) and it will end as “the sun rose” (Gen 32:31). When Abraham started on his journey to sacrifice Isaac (Gen 22) he “lifted his eyes and saw the place (haMacom) afar off”. He not only saw The Place (Mt. Moriah) in the distance, on a deeper spiritual level, he also saw it “afar off” in time …. when another Father would sacrifice His Son on that same mountain 2,000 years later. Yeshua said in John 8:56: “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad”; was He referring to this event??? I think so. So we see the connection (through the Hebrew word haMacom) to the Binding of Isaac, to Jacob’s encounter with Yehovah, and to Yeshua’s sacrifice on the Tree….all occurring on Mt Moriah.
While asleep at The Place, Jacob had a dream where a “ladder” (we are not sure of the exact meaning of this word sulam because this is the only place in Scripture where it occurs) connected Heaven and Earth; where Angels were ascending and descending on it; and Yehovah stood above the ladder (some would translate it “stood beside him”, meaning Jacob). The rabbis make a connection between this ladder (sulam) here and the name Mt Sinai … because both these Hebrew words have the numeric value of 130 (see the Power Point slides).. And beyond that, we see many parallels to this story of Jacob and the story of Moses at Sinai (Exo 19): Yehovah is at the top and mankind is below; there are Angels (messengers) traveling up and down …. the messenger on Sinai was Moses – just count the number of trips that 80-year-old Moses made up and down Mt Sinai:
- At the burning bush (Exo 3:3)
- Yehovah’s wedding proposal to Israel (Exo 19:3-6)
- Israel’s acceptance “All that the LORD has spoken, we will do.” (Exo 19:8-13)
- Yehovah gives the arrangements for the wedding day (Exo 19:20-24)
- Yehovah gives the wedding Covenant conditions (Exo 20 – 23)
- Moses confirms the Covenant (Exo 24:3-11 – the Book of the Covenant)
and Yehovah gives instructions to build the Tabernacle (Exo 25-31)
The Sin of the Golden Calf
Moses intercedes for Israel (Exo 32:31 – 33:1)
Yehovah gives “The Law” which He imposed upon covenant-breaking Israel (Exo 34 & Leviticus – the Book of the Law)
During this dream, Yehovah repeated to Jacob His Promise that He made to Abraham and to Isaac, and He added “you shall spread out” to the four corners of the Earth. This Hebrew word is paratz and it means “to break or burst forth” (as in childbirth). This same word is used in Micah 2:13 where it describes the sheep breaking out of the sheepfold when morning comes. It is this passage in Micah that Yeshua refers to in Matthew 11:12 when He says “the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force”. He is comparing the zeal of the sheep breaking out of the sheepfold to the zeal we should have in advancing the message of the Kingdom of Yehovah.
When Jacob awoke, he said that The Place where he was “is the gate of heaven”; this is Mt Moriah …. the Temple Mount. In today’s terminology, we would call it a portal; an opening from Earth to Heaven. No wonder the Temple Mount is the most hotly contested piece of real estate in the world today! With its connection to Mt Sinai, I would suggest that Sinai is also a portal to Heaven (there is a lot of activity between Heaven and Earth happening in Exodus 19 also). The location of the Tower of Babel is also a portal – if Nimrod was trying to physically reach Heaven, why would he build a tower in a valley and not on the top of a mountain? And from the Book of Enoch, Mt Hermon is the place where the Nefilim fell from Heaven to Earth … also a portal. Perhaps other ancient pagan temple sites (such as the Egyptian pyramids, Stonehenge, Machu Picchu in Peru, and the numerous Mayan temple sites) are all built on portals! But I digress – back to the Torah Portion!
Chapter 29 – Jacob & Rachel
Jacob met Rachel at a well – just as Eliezer met Jacob’s mother Rebekah and Moses met his wife Zipporah at a well … and Yeshua also had an encounter with a woman at a well in John 4. It is no coincidence that these stories have the common theme of a well – that was the social hub of those ancient communities. For Jacob, it was love at first sight and he kissed Rachel and wept. See the notes for the rabbis speculation for his weeping (I prefer speculation #2).
Now Rachel’s father Laban had negotiated with Eliezer for the bride price for sister Rebekah; and I’m sure he was delighted now to see his nephew Jacob at his door, remembering the enormous wealth he received for Rebekah’s dowry. It was time for another huge payday – this time for Rachel! But Jacob was standing before Laban dead broke – he didn’t have a sheckel in his pocket. (The rabbis suggest that Esau sent his son Eliphaz to kill Jacob; when he caught up with Jacob, he bribed Eliphaz with all the money he had to not kill him and to tell Esau that he succeeded in killing Jacob. In any event, Jacob had no money!)
So Jacob agreed to work for Laban for 7 years to pay the bride price for Rachel. We are familiar with the story: on the wedding night, Laban sent Leah (the elder) in to Jacob – as was the custom (that the eldest should be the first to marry). The rabbis suggest that Rachel and Jacob had agreed to a signal – in the event that Laban tried to do exactly this: switch Leah for Rachel – but Rachel gave in and told Leah the signal beforehand so she could convince Jacob she was Rachel. (Rebekah knew that the elder (Leah) should marry first). In the morning Jacob realized that he had been deceived by Laban (and, apparently also Rachel and Leah). I would suggest that this entire 20-year episode that Jacob had with Laban was part of Yehovah’s plan to work on Jacob’s tendency towards deception. He agreed to work another 7 years for Rachel. Laban insisted that he spend the first 7 days with Leah (as was the custom to consummate the marriage for 7 days), then he was immediately given Rachel as wife, even before his 7 years of service had started.
Yehovah saw that Rachel was loved and that Leah was hated (that’s the Hebrew word sane’ – the same word used to describe Esau in Malachi 1:3: “Jacob I have loved; but Esau I have hated”). It’s much more than “unloved” – it’s …. hated! So Yehovah closed Rachel’s womb and opened Leah’s womb; and Leah bore Jacob four sons. You can hear the pain of the hated Leah in her words as she named each son:
Reuben: “The LORD has surely looked on my affliction. Now therefore my husband will love me”
Simeon: “Because the LORD has heard that I am hated, He has therefore given me this son also”
Levi: “Now this time my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons”
Judah: “Now I will praise the LORD”
Chapter 30 – The Sons of Jacob
Now Rachel saw that Leah was blessing Jacob with sons, so she gave her handmaid Bilhah to Jacob. Bilhah conceived twice, and Rachel raised the sons, Dan & Naphtali, as her own. After giving birth to four sons, Leah thought that was a good idea, so she gave her handmaid Zilpah to Jacob, and she bore him two more sons: Gad & Asher.
Now Reuben had already lost his birthright by sleeping with Bilhah (Gen 35:22), perhaps trying to re-establish his place as firstborn by associating with Rachel’s (the loved wife) handmaid. He brought his mother Leah some mandrakes (a fertility stimulant) which would reflect favorably on him with Rachel. Leah traded the mandrakes for “a night with Jacob” (suggesting that Jacob spent every night with Rachel), and she conceived and bore Issachar, because she had hired Jacob for the night. So Leah bore Jacob six sons and one daughter (that we know of) Dinah; and the handmaids each bore Jacob two sons. Now the LORD “remembered” Rachel (He hadn’t forgotten her – it was now her time) and she conceived and bore Jacob a son, Joseph, whose name means “Yehovah has Added.”
Now Jacob had to provide for his large family so he negotiated to serve Laban another 6 years: Jacob would keep all the blemished animals and Laban would keep the unblemished ones. After agreeing to the deal, Laban took all the blemished animals away from Jacob and left him with just the unblemished ones – giving Jacob a tremendous handicap in cultivating his herds of blemished animals. The rest of this chapter describes how Jacob was able to get blemished animals by mating unblemished males and females. It may sound like hocus-pocus to us but, needless to say, Yehovah supernaturally blessed Jacob with huge flocks of blemished animals that would satisfy the deal that Laban had made with Jacob.
Chapter 31 – Jacob Flees from Laban
At this point, Laban’s demeanor towards Jacob changed; he believed that Jacob had deceived him (even though the agreement about the blemished and unblemished animals clearly favored Laban). It was time for Jacob to take his wives, his concubines, his children, his herds & flocks and his considerable wealth and go home to his Father Isaac. His wives knew that Laban had squandered their bride price and their true fortune was with Jacob. So he departed for Canaan with his wives and sons riding on camels – in the same way that Eliezer had departed from Laban so many years earlier.
But before they left, Rachel had taken her father’s idols (teraphim in Hebrew). We know from Gen 12 that Terah and his household were idolaters, so it should come as no surprise that his descendants (including Laban) also worshipped these small idol statues. But the context in which they are presented here suggests they represented more than that: Laban was very concerned that they were missing; and they seemed to have a relationship with his land – some have suggested that they were the title deed to all of his land. In any event, Laban pursued Jacob and company because they had left without saying goodbye – and also so he could retrieve his teraphim. When Laban caught up with Jacob and company, he accused Jacob of stealing them. Jacob denied it and told Laban “with whomever you find your idols, do not let him live” – an ill-fated vow upon Rachel, who would die soon during Benjamin’s childbirth. Laban searched everyone – including Rachel; but she had hidden them in the camel’s saddle and refused to get off the saddle. After a heated exchange of words, Jacob and Laban established boundaries between Laban’s land and Jacob’s land, thus apparently eliminating the need for the missing terraphim and establishing again Laban’s sons’ legal right to his land. They confirmed a peace covenant (made out of dis-trust of each other), complete with blood sacrifice and covenant-confirming meal.
Chapter 32
So Jacob and company went their way and stopped at Yehovah’s Camp – Mahanaim. This sets the stage for the reconciliation of Jacob and Esau in next week’s Portion.
The Haftarah (Hosea 11:7 – 12:14)
The Haftarah reading, from the Prophet Hosea, shows God rebuking the House of Israel for forsaking Him. The Northern Kingdom of Israel (personified as Ephraim) is today dispersed among the Nations; Hosea says they lie and deal deceitfully with Him and “carry oil from Syria & Iraq” to Egypt (the World). Here Hosea uses Jacob’s actions in this week’s Portion to encourage all of dispersed Israel to repent from their sinful ways and to return to Him. We read from Hosea 12:1-14:
“Ephraim feeds on the wind, and pursues the east wind; he daily increases lies and desolation. Also they make a covenant with the Assyrians, and oil is carried to Egypt. The Lord also brings a charge against Judah, and will punish Jacob according to his ways; according to his deeds He will recompense him. He took his brother by the heel in the womb, and in his strength he struggled with God. Yes, he struggled with the Angel and prevailed; he wept, and sought favor from Him. He found Him in Bethel, and there He spoke to us— that is, the Lord God of hosts. YHVH is His memorable name. So you, by the help of your God, return; observe mercy and justice, and wait on your God continually. “A cunning Canaanite! Deceitful scales are in his hand; he loves to oppress. And Ephraim said, ‘Surely I have become rich, I have found wealth for myself; in all my labors they shall find in me no iniquity that is sin.’ “But I am the Lord your God, ever since the land of Egypt; I will again make you dwell in tents, as in the days of the appointed feast. I have also spoken by the prophets, and have multiplied visions; I have given symbols through the witness of the prophets.” Though Gilead has idols—surely they are vanity—though they sacrifice bulls in Gilgal, indeed their altars shall be heaps in the furrows of the field. Jacob fled to the country of Syria; Israel served for a spouse, and for a wife he tended sheep. By a prophet the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt, and by a prophet he was preserved. Ephraim provoked Him to anger most bitterly; therefore his Lord will leave the guilt of his bloodshed upon him, and return his reproach upon him.”
The Brit Chadashah (I Peter 2:6-10)
In the New Covenant reading, the Apostle Peter shows us the significance of the rock that Jacob used to rest his head upon. The Scripture strongly suggests that “the place” where Jacob stopped for the night was Mount Moriah – the same place where, years earlier, Grandfather Abraham brought Father Isaac as a sacrifice. The Rabbis suggest that Jacob’s rock came from the altar that Abraham built there to sacrifice the ram in place of Isaac. And we know that same plot of ground was purchased years later by David, and it became the place where Solomon erected the First Temple. The stone from Abraham’s altar – the same stone used by Jacob as a pillow – became the foundation stone for the Ark of the Covenant in the Most Holy Place. It is that stone the Peter uses to describe Yeshua in today’s reading. We read from 1 Peter 2:6-10:
Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, “Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.” Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, “The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone”, and “A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.” They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed. But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.”
Yeshua is our Foundation Stone; and when we build upon that Foundation, we come into covenant relationship with Him. Peter calls us a “Royal Priesthood” … not of the Levitical Priesthood, but as Priests in Yeshua’s Order of Melchizedek. We all need to be walking according to our Priestly calling!